Abstract P211: Associations of the Mediterranean and MIND Diets With Brain Volume in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study
Authors: Christopher Guarino, Yi Guan, Bang-Bon Koo, Rafeeque Bhadelia, Tammy Scott, Mahdi O Garelnabi, Katherine L Tucker, Sherman Bigornia
Journal: Circulation (2023)

Objectives: Although few studies are available, some evidence suggests that greater adherence to the MeD (Mediterranean Diet) and MIND (Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Reduce Hypertension Intervention for Neurocognitive Delay) dietary patterns may benefit cognitive function among Hispanic/Latino adults. Greater regional and total brain volumetric measures are associated with an increased risk of dementia, but whether the MeD and MIND dietary patterns relate to brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to quantify the associations of these dietary patterns with brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults. Methods: Data are from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, which recruited 1500 older Puerto Rican adults residing in the Boston Metro Area. Approximately 13 years from baseline, a subsample of participants (n=240) were invited to a follow-up visit where brain scans were conducted using a 3T MRI scanner. Diet was estimated using the mean intake from a validated food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline, ~2, and ~6 years. The MeD score has 6 adequacy and 3 moderation components, whereas MIND has 10 and 5 components, respectively. Component scores were summed to get a total dietary score, where a higher value indicates greater adherence to the pattern. Total scores range from 0-9 for MeD and 0-15 for MIND. Outcomes included hippocampal, amygdalar, and total gray matter volumes. The residual method was used to adjust brain volumes for differences in intracranial volume and values were z score transformed prior to analyses. Multiple linear regression models were adjusted for age, sex, total energy, the time between the baseline and 13-year visits, education, physical activity, BMI, and smoking status. After exclusions for missing data, the sample size was n=225. Results: The mean age of the participants was 55±7 years and was primarily female [79%, (178 of 225)]. On average, the time between the baseline and MRI visits was 12.8±1.1 years. Higher MeD score was significantly associated with greater hippocampal [β (95% CI), 0.19 (0.053, 0.32), amygdalar [0.16 (0.03, 0.29)], and total grey matter volumes [0.14 (0.01, 0.26)] ( P &lt;0.05 for all). Similarly, positive associations were observed between the MIND score and hippocampal [0.18 (0.05, 0.31), amygdalar [0.14 (0.01, 0.27)], and total grey matter volumes [0.14 (0.01, 0.27)] ( P &lt;0.05 for all). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the observed beneficial associations of the MeD and MIND dietary patterns with cognitive function among Hispanic/Latino adults, may in part be through impacts on regional and total brain volume. These results provide evidence that can inform tailored dietary recommendations and interventions targeting brain health among older Puerto Rican adults. Funding Sources: This study was supported by NIH grants R01AG055948, P50 HL105185, and P01 AG023394.